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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

beach [mini] vaca + review

Hi-ya! We literally *just* got back from a lovely little mini-vacation. I booked us in an executive suite at the Sirata Beach Resort (review to follow) and can I just say that it SUCKS coming home. It was so amazing to spend a few days away with nothing to worry about. Please excuse the fact I only have cell phone pictures, my camera died!!

view from our room

The first night, we ventured to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. I was craving seafood and it was situated beautifully on St. John's Pass. I truthfully do not have much to stay about this meal because it was ridiculously priced (19.95 for shrimp skewers=6 shrimp total) and veggies. Not only was the food NOT worth it, as you can tell from the receipt below, the service was equally as shitty. We were greeted by Lisa, who took our drink order and meal order at one time. Then, we never saw her again. Not before our meals came, not after, not for refills, nothing. If you've ever been to Bubba's you know they have a system where you flip a sign which reads "Stop Forrest Stop" if you need something. But, I didn't feel it was necessary to have to flip the sign for refills, a check, to pick up the check, etc. Not to mention, every time we needed someone, it was someone different that stopped. And to top if off, if you see the receipt says Jessica. Who the hell was Jessica?

The next day, we checked out Ft. Desoto, which was pretty cool.. but this pretty flower was the best part. He loves me, he loves me not. :)
Then, after several naps in a pitch black room I decided to go for a run. I'm here to tell you *THIS* is the way to run. It's so beautiful to run along the shoreline with the waves at your ankle.
After my run, I needed FOOD. Logan had mentioned pizza and since it is vacation and all, it sounded like a good idea.
and it was. We went to DeLosa's and OH. MY. GOD. The sweet little guy that was working recommended white pizza with chicken, tomatoes, and spinach. Beyond amazing. I can't believe I ate two pieces. WORTH EVERY CALORIE. I would probably deem this my favorite meal of the trip, aside from my cereal suicide this morning (honey nut cherrios, lucky charms + banana) Just kidding. Kind of.

On to the review:
My overall opinion of the Sirata was probably 4 out of 5 stars. The room was nice, with a fluffy king size bed and a great view. It was partially obstructed by the parking lot, but we got to see the Bay and it was really our only choice if we wanted a king bed.. which we did. My biggest complaint about the room was the lack of toiletries. I never pack any of that stuff and was disappointed to only find a tiny bottle of shampoo. Needless to say, my hair felt like shit all the whole time. :(
I did love the decent sized balcony. It had two chairs, and a small table. It also had biiiiggggg curtains which helped to make the room pitch black. I loved that because I LOVEEEE my naps.
The area was nice, with lots of options to eat, a few on properties as well as 3 pools and great beach access. I would visit the Sirata again, but I am not in any hurry. I'm sure there are equally as nice places.
Pros:
-great location
-comfy bed
-dark room
-clean
-plenty of pools
-lots of linen
-quiet (for the most part)
-later check out available (12pm)
Cons:
-no toiletries
-paying for parking ($8!)
-paying for wireless internet ($9 a day? no thanks)
-no continental breakfast
*My biggest con was that upon check out we were charged for drinks which we never purchased. They did correct this, but it seemed incredibly fishy since he check-out guy informed us it was a typo when on the receipt you can clearly see they charged us, along with a time of day. This couldn't have been a mistake because to charge anything to your room, you must have your card present. I do not know this for certain, but I have a strange feeling they automatically charge you for 1 drink and since most people take advantage of the bars, they never catch it. We brought our own booze so it was easy to catch. Just sayin'.

You should also know I was not offered anything to do this review, I just like to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon"-Doug Larson (English middle-distance runner who won gold medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, 1902-1981)